Deck Maintenance Tips

If your deck is starting to show the signs of wear, you know that it needs repair. Moreover, deck as any outdoor feature requires regular maintenance, and there are certain tricks you should know in regard to that. Follow this post to know about the basic deck maintenance tips that should be performed.

Deck Maintenance Basics

Fancy Deck After Staining

Nail Pops

If you see nails resurfacing on the deck they should be attended to immediately. They need to be removed with a hammer or a cat’s paw and another nail should be put in place.

Damaged Wood Board

It might happen occasionally that the wooden board cracks up. You need to mark the damaged board to the edge of the first support joist, but make sure it is directly over the joist or you will damage the tools. Remove the board with a jigsaw and then using the deck screws attach 2×4 inches support block to the joist. The deck board should be same size as the previous deck board. If the board appears to be different from other boards it can be smoothed out with sanded belt.

Regular Washing

The deck also needs a regular washing even though it seems to be physically intact. Remove the visible dirt and wood fibers and then pressure wash the deck. This should eliminate the stains and dirt from the deck. It is also essential to keep the pressure stream always moving otherwise the deck boards can get gouged.

Staining & Sealing

In order to prevent the deck boards from sun-damaging rays the deck should be sealed. Use the clear wood preservative with a UV protector. If you think it is necessary to add some color, use the stain first. The stains come in opaque and semi-solid finishes. If you want to highlight the railings you can use the opaque finish, but it is best to use semi-transparent finish for the deck.